Education, From The Capitol To The Classroom

Stories about students: How does education policy affect the way students learn and grow? Can schools meet their needs as they balance ramped-up testing with personal changes and busy schedules? And are students who need help getting it?

Stories about educators: How are those responsible for implementing education policy in schools − from classroom teachers, to district administrators, to school board members − affected by changes at the top? And how well do they meet their challenge of reaching students with varying abilities and needs?

Stories about school assessment: With an increased push for 'accountability' in schools, what can test scores tell us about teacher effectiveness and student learning − and what can't they tell us? What does the data say about how schools at all levels are performing?

Stories about government influence: Who are the people and groups most instrumental in crafting education policy? What are their priorities and agendas? And how do they work together when they disagree?

Stories about money: How do local, state, and federal governments pay to support the education policies they craft? How do direct costs of going to school − from textbooks to tuition − hit a parent or student's bottom line? And how do changing budgets and funding formulas affect learning and teaching?

November 4, 2016 | 2:48 PM

Voters around the state will see questions at the bottom of their ballot asking for an increase to property taxes to fund local schools. Ballot referenda have become more and more popular in the last decade as funding streams for schools changed.

School referendum questions became a common ballot measure in Indiana back in 2008, after the legislature voted to enact property tax caps. The caps were written into the state constitution, and the amendment says the government may not collect taxes equaling more than one percent of an owner occupied residence, two percent for other residential properties and three percent for all other properties.

But school districts used to depend on property tax money. Without it, many turned to referenda to supplement. After years of posing referenda questions, many school districts have come to depend on this revenue stream.

Monroe County School Corporation is posing a referendum, and as WFIU reports it would continue to fund the district, which was receiving property taxes after a 2010 referendum.

MCCSC school board member David Sabbagh says the new rate is less than what was asked for in 2010.

“The rate we’re asking is a little less than we did last time. We have referendum money coming on now. We are not asking for an increase. It’s just a continuation. Actually, a little less,” Sabbagh says.

In previous years, referenda have a better chance of passing during May primaries, because it can often be one of the more notable parts of a ballot. So during an election like this, with huge races at the local, state and federal level, it could end up that more people will be voting but not be aware of what the school referenda are asking, and then vote no to raising taxes.